Shortlisted
Dying Echoes
Diocesan Girls’ Junior School, Ng Tsz Ying, Tiffany, 11
January 1998
N
arantuyaa (sun-beam) was Mongolian. She lived with her nomadic family and had an
older sister named Sarangerel (moon-light). The family had recently moved to the Gobi
Desert, which Narantuyaa found entrancing.
One day Sarangerel caught Narantuyaa running and called out, “Where are you
going, Naran?”
“Why, off to explore, of course,” Naran grinned.
“Well, remember to come back quickly. Don’t go too far,” Sarangerel said bossily.
Naran trekked along the rough, rocky sand of the Gobi. She was mesmerised by the beautiful
sunset. It painted the sky many colours. She saw purple, dark blue, pink—all woven together into a
tapestry. Now that’s priceless, Naran thought.
She wandered a bit further than usual. She found an opening caved into a large sand dune
and, feeling curious, she cautiously walked into the opening. As soon as she was inside, Naran
sighed in wonder. Exquisite crystals hung from the cave walls, each as big as her body and as
sharp as a needle. The crystals glowed naturally, lighting up the cave.
“Narantuyaa.” An elegant voice sounded behind her. Naran jumped in surprise and turned
to face a snow leopard. Its fur was snowy white and its eyes shone like sapphires. It had a sleek,
lithe body.
“What – who are you?” Naran spluttered.
“I am Queen Nyra of the snow leopards. I have been expecting you. Not many discover our
caves here, and few are innocent children. Now I ask you a favour. Would you like to help us?”
“Um… what can I do for you?”
“Good. Humans destroy us, hunt us wanting to sell our fur as coats and make medicine from our
bones. Our leopards have been starting to die out as a result. Would you ask them to stop?”
“Me? But I’m just a girl! What can I do?” Naran asked incredulously.
“You can write to your rulers, telling them to pass a law: no more hunting for animal fur. I
believe in you, Narantuyaa.”
She pondered this for a while.
“Alright. I promise.”
“Promise is a fragile thing, as easily broken as a spider’s web,” murmured the wise queen. “We
honour promises, Narantuyaa. Come, child. Follow me.” Nyra led Naran past some guards and
went deeper into the cave.
Nyra spoke to a guard and then returned with a crystal engraved with a snow leopard’s head.
She pressed it into Naran’s hand. “Now you shall never forget your promise, Narantuyaa. Leave
now, child.”
Naran strolled back the way she had come, thinking about her promise while tracing the snow
leopard mark on the crystal with her finger.
“I’m going to study hard and become an important government official. Then I will be able
to change the snow leopards’ fate,” Naran silently vowed to herself. “I’ll never ever forget my
